Moistening device



C. C. HARRIS.

MOISTENING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13. 1919. RENEWED M4AR.26,1920.

1,394,196. Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

SMWW

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL CHESTER HARRIS, OF ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO RIVET-O MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

. MOISTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed June 13, 1919, Serial No. 303,832. Renewed March 26, 1920. Serial No. 869,030.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARL C. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States residing at Orange, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Moistening Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amoistening device capable of many uses, but particularly adapted for moistening the gummed sur faces of envelops and the like.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a construction by which envelops can be moistened in the simplest possible way, namely by moving the gummed surfaces on the open flaps up under the moistening device without turning over the envelops; to provide a convenient, simple, and sanitary method of conducting the water to such inverted moistening appliance; to provide a water reservoir therefor which can be removed bodily from the rest of the device, so that the same can be filled independently and then applied again without disturbing it or removing it from its usual place of use; to provide an automatic valve construction by means of which the reservoir will always feed water slowly automatically when it is in operative position but the valve willclose automatically when the reservoir is lifted; to provide a sponge or absorbent holder that will allow of the convenient removal or replacement of the sponge for cleaning; and to provide improvements in the base whereby it will not be easily tipped over and can be utilized to catch any drippings from the sponge and to hold articles that are required on an ofiice desk.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central sectional view of a moistening device constituting a preferred embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the water reservoir removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the water reservoir showing its position when taken off of the base;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the skeleton frame inside the mouth of the water reservoir for guiding and limiting the motion of the valve;

Fig. 5 is a plan of the valve itself, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modification.

Although the invention is not limited to any particular type of moistener and can be be applied to the ordinary cylinder and sponge moisteners, as well as the common tape moisteners, I have shown it in the first five figures as applied to a desk moistener. This has a cast metal base 10 adapted to rest on the surface of a desk, table or the like. In order to provide a wide base and prevent accidental tipping over of the device I have shown a flange 11 around the bottom of the base furnishing a groove 12 around it divided up by integral cast ribs 13 into a plurality of compartments. One of them, 14, is shown larger than the others and constituting the drip receptacle. The other receptacles formed by the groove 12 and ribs 13 are designed for the reception of pins, fasteners, and other office supplies.

' The center of this base extends upwardly and is provided with a fiat top on which is screwed a trough receptacle 16 which is open at the top and designed to hold water. It will be noted that it is provided with a central elevation or projection 17, the purpose of which will appear. It is also provided at one side directly over the center of the receptacle 14 with a radial trough 18 which extends upwardly from the bottom of the trough receptacle 16 on an incline. At the end of this is a passage 19 which is open at the top and bottom.

It may be stated here that the receptacle 16 is designed to receive water and is provided with a wick 20 passing around it and extending out through the trough 18. The two ends of this wick preferably are separated and are long enough so as to have a place in the passage 19. This passage is in tended to be substantially filled by absorbent material, as for example, a sponge 21. This passage being open at the top and bottom, the sponge is designed to contact with the two ends of the wick 20 and to extend down through the bottom opening to provide a moisture applying projection 22. This, it will be noted, is at the bottom of the passage 19 so that envelops which are naturally open with their gummed flaps up can be passed under without turning them over, thus saving a material loss of time in large offices. This is particularly valuable in the handling of pay envelops. It has another advantage as, where the muoilage is not of a suflicient quantity or quality, additional mucilage can be applied to the sponge and this fault corrected very easily. By placing the sponge at a distance from the base 10 suflicient room is provided for bringing the envelope up to the moistener.

The receptacle 16 is of a general circular shape and is designed to receive above its flat bottom and preferably above the wick 20, the open mouth of an inverted reservoir 25 preferably in the form of a glass bottle so that the height of liquid therein can be seen readily. This bottle is provided with a cover 26 of any desired form, preferably in.

the form of a screw cap made of metal or other material. This screw cap has a flat.

base or end 27 which is provided with a central opening 28 large enough to receive the projection 17. This projection is shown as broad at the bottom and narrower at the top. The opening 28 is designed to be just large enough to receive its largest part and allow liquid to flow therethrough.

It will be noted that this cap 26 is elevated above the bottom of the trough 16 by the fact that the reservoir is supported in elevated position by the top edge of the receptacle 16. .This receptacle can be secured to the top of the base 10 by screws 29 or a circumferential flange 35 frictionally fitting the top of the base 10, or both can be used as shown. The lower end of the trough 18 extend from the extreme bottom of the receptacle. Therefore, as will be seen later, there will always be water enough in this receptacle to come to the top of the wick lying therein.

The bottle 25 is provided with a packing ring 30 between its edge and the cap- 26, which also holds at this point the end 'flanges 31 of a skeleton guide frame 32.

This is shown in the form of a cross'and is provided with legs 33 constituting a guide and a limit for the-valve 34. This valve is located between the fiat end 27 of the cap and the skeleton frame 32. It consists of a fiat plate capable of moving from the position shown in Fig. 1 to thatshown in Fig. 3. When the bottle is to be filled it is taken out of the receptacle16 and whether there is any water in it or not the valve 34: automatically drop down to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus substantially closing the device and preventing any material leakage. It is then taken to a faucet and inverted. The valve 34 falls down on what is then the bottom of the skeleton frame 32 and the water can be introduced to fill the bottle. It is then turned over again into the position shown in Fig. 3 and carefully dropped down into the receptacle 16. The effect of this of course is to leave the valve elevated so as to provide a free passage for the water between itand the cap 27.

scribed.

water can be discharged except when air en ters. N 0 air can enter except when the level of iwater in the receptacle 16 drops slightly below the surface 27 and enough will enter the level of water up to that height at all times. This keeps the wick '20 moist and supplies moisture uninterruptedly to the sponge 21, so that the moistening surface 22 is always in condition for use-even while the bottle ,25 is out of position and being filled, if it is not kept out'of position too long. i V v It is to be observed that the reservoir 25 is sanitary and does not require any manipulation by the operator, except to fill it occasionally in the mannerthat has been do- It is readily removable without any trouble and without the. necessity of paying anyattention to the valveor operating the valve by hand. It i the only part of the device that is required to be taken out in order to fill it. There is also no necessity of unscrewing the cap for filling, oradjustment after it has once beenput inplace.

On account of the top ofthe reservoir being closed at all times there is no possibility of dust entering. By elevating the sponge it'is prevented from getting too low at any time and too much water cannot flow to it,

yet a sufficient amount is always insured. By depending upon capillary attraction for conducting the water excessive How is avoided as has been stated. The hape of the sponge, or rather the sponge passage 19 is a feature of importance because it permits of the moistening surface '22 being located on the bottom for the purpose above specified, and concentrates the moisture application at a single point. If for any reason or for any special purpose it is desired to moisten on top instead of on the bottom this change in the design of the "apparatus or even in the size and shape of the sponge. The lower part of sponge 22 should be at the proper elevation, above the lower end of the cap 26 of the bottle 25. If too low, a constant dripping high, the sponge 22 will not havesufiicient moistening for constant and continuous use. This can be used as an envelop moistener or finger moistener, or for. cleaning purposes. It can be used also as a means for feeding other liquid as, for example, ink, a' pen dipping chute or recess beingprovided on the side of the receptacle 16.

Although I have shown this invention as applied to a desk envelop moistener, I am aware of thefact that the inverted glass bottle water reservoir with the automatic responge moisteners as well as common tape follows, while if too is obviously provided for without any moisteners now used in stores for sealing bundles, etc., and it eliminates the objectionable water trays which are apt to be spilled and which supply water irregularly.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the water reservoir 25 and connected features of the invention as applied to an ordinary cylinder moistener 50 for keeping the same supplied with water up to a predetermined level. This has all the advantages above mentioned as relating to the reservoir and its automatic valve construction.

Although I have illustrated and described only two forms of the invention I am aware of the fact that many modificationscan be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I claim is 1. A moistening device comprising a stand or base, a water reservoir removably mounted at an elevation thereon, and a moisture holding and applying element in uninterrupted communication with said removable reservoir having a downwardly projecting substantially fiat surface for applying the moisture to the top of the article to be moistened.

2. A moistening device comprising a stand adapted to rest on a table or the like and having a supporting surface at an elevation above the bottom thereof, an inverted water reservoir located above said supporting surface and adapted to feed water from its lower end, a trough extending upwardly from said surface for receiving water from said reservoir, and means at the upper and outer end ofsaid trough for holding a moisture absorbing material with its operative face at the bottom.

3. A moistening device comprising a stand, a water receptacle located in elevated position thereon, a trough extending out wardly from said receptacle, a wick extending along said trough, said trough having an enlargement on the end open at the top and bottom for the reception of an absorbent material in contact with said wick.

4. In a moistening device, the combination of a receptacle having an open top and an elevation extending up in the bottom thereof and provided with a moisture applying device communicating with said receptacle, an inverted reservoir for water located in said receptacle and projecting down into it so as to rest on its bottom around said elevation, a cover for the lower open end of said reservoir, said cover having an opening in the center thereof for receiving said elevation, a skeleton frame having its edges held between said cover and the edge of the inverted reservoir and projecting up into it, and a valve held between said skeleton frame and the cover and adapted to close the opening in the cover when the reservoir is lifted above said elevation.

5. A moistening device of the class described comprising a stand having an upright portion surrounded by an integral flange and ribs extending across said flange to strengthen the stand and divide the trough inside the flange into separate com partments, a water reservoir at the top of said stand, a trough extending outwardly and communicating with said water reservoir and having means for holding an ab sorbent material open at the bottom and located directly over one of said compartments so that it can receive the drippings therefrom.

6. A moistening device comprising a receptacle, means for keeping the liquid at a constant level therein provided with a valve arranged to close automatically when said means is removed, means for holding absorb ent material with its lower surface at a slight elevation above the level of liquid in said receptacle, and means for supplying moisture from said receptacle to said absorbent material.

7. A moistening device comprising a receptacle, means for supplying liquid tosaid receptacle and keeping the liquid at a constant level therein, a body of absorbent ma terial, means for holding said absorbent material with its lower surface exposed and located at a slight elevation above the level of liquid in said receptacle, and means for constantly supplying moisture from said receptacle to said absorbent material by capillary action to keep the same always thoroughly moist but to prevent the moisture collecting therein enough to drip therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CARL CHESTER HARRIS. 

